The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of petunia plant obtained from crossing a line designated `Cloud Pink` from, within the `Cloud Mixed` series and a wild type of petunia plant (.male.) having white color petals, native to Brazil.
Petunia is a very popular plant and is used for flower bedding and potting in the summer season. There are only a few varieties of the petunia plant which do not have an upright growth habit and which have a high resistance to rain, heat, drought and cold. The Petunia series `Revolution` which we patented which includes the plants `Revolution Purplepink`, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,915; `Revolution Brilliantpink`, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,914; and `Revolution Brilliantpink -- Mini`, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,899, are petunia plants having decumbent growth of branches, with long stems, a lower spreading habit, abundant branching and high resistance to heat, drought, and rain. However, there are only a few varieties having a wide range of a flower color. Accordingly, this invention was aimed to obtaining a new variety having a vivid reddish purple color, together with features of said `Revolution` series.
The new variety of petunia plant according to this invention originated from a crossing of `Cloud Pink`, having a pink petal coloration obtained as a line from within the `Cloud Mixed` series available from T & M Limited of England as the female parent and a wild type of petunia plant native to Brazil having white color petal as the pollen parent, in February, 1989 at the Plant Biotechnology Laboratory, Institute for Fundamental Research of SUNTORY Ltd., located at 2913-1 Torihara, Hakushu-cho, Kitakoma-gun, Yamanashi-ken, Japan. From this crossing 350 seedlings were obtained in 1989, from which 8 seedlings were selected, propagated by cutting, and then grown as a trial by flower bedding and potting from the spring of 1990. Only two of the 8 resulting plants were selected. The botanical characteristics of the finally-selected plants were then examined, using a similar variety, `Revolution Brilliantpink-mini`, for comparison, from the spring of 1991. These two plants were found to exhibit different phenotypical characteristics. One of these plants exhibited dissimilar vivid red flowers and is not claimed herein. The other plant is claimed herein and is distinguishable from any other variety, whose existence is known to us, and this new variety of petunia plant was named `Revolution Pinkmini`.
In the following description, the color-coding is in accordance with the Horticultural Color Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England (R.H.S. Color Chart), and the Inter-Society Color Council-Nation Bureau of Standards Color Name (I.S.C.C.-N.B.S. Color Name). A color chart based on The Japan Color Standard for Horticultural Plant (J.H.S. Color Chart) is also added for reference.
The female parent used in the breeding of `Revolution Pinkmini` is `Cloud Pink` having pink petal coloration from within the `Cloud Mixed` series available from T&M Limited of England. This petunia plant in world wide marketed. The main botanical characteristics of this female parent are as follows.
Plant: PA0 Stems: PA0 Leaf: PA0 Flower: Opening obliquely upward. PA0 Physiological and ecological characteristics: Moderate resistance to rain, heat and disease, and moderate resistance to pests. PA0 Plant: PA0 Stems: PA0 Leaf: PA0 Flower: Opening obliquely upward. PA0 Physiological and ecological characteristics: High resistance to cold, relatively high resistance to heat, and moderate resistance to diseases and pests.
Growth habit.--Upright. PA2 Plant height.--30-40 cm. PA2 Spreading area of plant.--25-35 cm in diameter. PA2 Blooming period.--April to September, the southern Kanto area, Japan. PA2 Thickness.--3.0-6.0 mm. PA2 Anthocyanin pigmentation.--Absent. PA2 Branching.--Abundant. PA2 Pubescence.--Medium. PA2 Length of internodes.--2.0-4.0 cm. PA2 Leaf attaching angle.--Horizontal. PA2 Shape.--Elliptic. PA2 Size (average).--5.0-6.5 cm in length; 2.5-3.5 cm in width. PA2 Thickness.--0.4-0.6 mm. PA2 Color.--Moderate olive green to moderate yellow green (R.H.S. 146A-137C, J.H.S. 3508-3712). PA2 Pubescence.--Medium. PA2 Type.--Single. PA2 Shape.--Funnel-shape, having corolla with five fused segments or petals. PA2 Diameter.--8-10 cm. PA2 Color.--Red purple (R.H.S. 73A-73B). PA2 Reproductive organs.--1 normal pistil having a stigma and 5 normal stamens. PA2 Peduncle.--1.5-2.5 mm in thickness, and 2.5-3.0 mm in length. PA2 Growth habit.--Decumbent. PA2 Plant height.--20 cm. PA2 Spreading area of plant.--100-150 cm in diameter. PA2 Blooming period.--May to August in the southern Kanto area, Japan. PA2 Length from base.--50-80 cm. PA2 Thickness.--Main stem 2.0-3.0 mm; lateral stem 1.5-2.5 mm. PA2 Color.--Strong yellow green (R.H.S. 144B-144C, J.H.S. 3512-3513). PA2 Branching.--Over-abundant. PA2 Pubescence.--Heavy. PA2 Length of internodes.--1.0-2.0 cm before blooming; 1.5-3.0 cm during blooming. PA2 Phyllotaxis.--Opposite both before and during blooming. PA2 Shape.--Oval. PA2 Size (average).--4.5-5.5 cm.times.2.5-3.5 cm. PA2 Thickness.--0.4-0.5 mm. PA2 Color.--Grayish olive green (R.H.S. 137A-137B, J.H.S. 3716-3717). PA2 Pubescence.--Scant. PA2 Type.--Single. PA2 Shape.--Funnel-shape, having corolla with five fused segments or petals. PA2 Diameter.--4.0-5.0 cm. PA2 Color.--In the unopened stage (bud), yellow green (R.H.S. 149C-149D, J.H.S. 3303-3304); when open, green white (R.H.S. 157D, J.H.S. 3102); at full bloom, white (R.H.S. 155D, J.H.S. 2902). PA2 Reproductive organ.--1 pistil and 5 stamens, both normal. PA2 Peduncle.--0.9-1.2 mm in thickness, and 2.0-2.5 mm in length.
The pollen parent used in the breeding of `Revolution Pinkmini` is a wild type of petunia native to Brazil having white color petals, the seeds of which were gathered at Gramado, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil and introduced to Japan in October, 1983. This wild type of plant is presently maintained at the aforementioned Plant Biotechnology Laboratory, SUNTORY, Ltd. The main botanical characteristics of this male parent are as follows.
This new and distinct variety of petunia plant, `Revolution Pinkmini`, was asexually reproduced by cuttings at the aforementioned Plant Biotechnology Laboratory, Institute for Fundamental Research of SUNTORY Ltd., residing at 2913-1 Torihara, Hakushu-cho, Kitakoma-gun, Yamanashi-ken, Japan, and the homogeneity and stability thereof were confirmed.